Local briefs

Underground utility work on County State Aid Highway 66 has been completed and construction has advanced to the Margaret Lane and Echo Drive areas in Crosslake.

Paving of CSAH 66 will begin today and should be completed in one to two days. The contractor, Hammerlund Construction, will then move into Edgewater Lane and begin with the lift station construction.

With the completion of Edgewater Drive, the remaining work this fall will be located near the Crosslake downtown area and Reed's Market. Construction work will continue on sanitary sewer along Pioneer Drive and off-road routes until freeze-up.

Area fire departments receive grants

The Staples and Aitkin fire departments were awarded grants for fire operations and firefighter safety.

The Staples Fire Department received $61,704 and the Aitkin Fire Department received $22,050 from the U.S. Fire Administration's 2003 Assistance to Firefighters Grant.

Other Minnesota fire departments receiving grants were Preston, Oronoco, Worthington, Jasper, Shoreview, Maple lake, Beltrami, Arlington, Vergas, Wolf Lake, Thief River Falls, Esko, Embarrass and Cotton.

The grants are awarded nation-wide and are expected to reach 7,000 fire departments totaling $750 million.